100 word challenge

Well, I took the image below as inspiration, but the image I’ve added underneath quite nicely sums it up! Thanks to Rochelle for hosting these 100 word challenges, as always.

Auntie waited by the window all winter. Her drool left frozen dark brown streaks as she scratched at thick frosted glass, her yellowed teeth gnashing. Weeks passed. Auntie watched. As I reluctantly chewed up my last shred of beef jerky, and penultimate multivitamin, birds began to squawk and chirp outside. The pane had turned from grey to deep blue. Curiously, I squinted beyond. The snow was dotted with green shoots, and Auntie had become a pile of meat-flecked bones under the window. Excited, I finally prised my way out of the cabin, to explore what was left of the world.

Thank you for reading, comments are welcome!

For more Friday Fiction by other writers, please click on the little blue frog below.

Warning: This went a little dark, I reckon – I saw that huge glossy shadow in the lower section and was totally drawn into it….

Prompt from Emily L Gant

Keep your eyes peeled, girl.

They move between dark places when the shadows shift. Between buildings. Inside homes.

My neighbour was left with a cave for a face.

They spread in shadows, their domain increasing as storms get fiercer, knocking out power, soaking firewood. They caused that too, of course. Moment they landed here the bastards were blotting out our sun.

So never blink. Be vigilant and you’ll catch a lifesaving glimpse. A spidery leg here, a scuttle at the corner of your eye. Shoot the bastards.

Keep ‘em peeled, girl. Here’s a razorblade. I can help, if you’d like?

As always thanks to Rochelle for hosting this 100 word inspiration on her blog. Also please follow the blue frog at the bottom of the page if you’d like to read other 100 word stories by fellow Fictioneers.

train Picture by Jennifer Pendergast

The Broken Trainset

Shattered, I broke the little engine laughing at me beneath his ripped track. I stomped and stomped the tiny chimney, crushing Thomas and tubby Controller, smashed them brutally underfoot. I snapped and crushed, scattering miniature railway onlookers, terrorising all with my giant’s tread. The rest was a red mist until I dropped my beer can, slumped in sofa.

Blood dripped through my sock. The sitting room wrecked. It had been a long night. I hurt all over. Now I couldn’t even flog the fucking trainset on ebay. I was gonna get my legs broke. Twisted Thomas grinned at me – I.O.U.

Several possibilities were pondered for this strange doorway, but I’m reasonably pleased with what came up.

This week’s photo prompt by Lauren Moscato, submitted by Amy Rees

Learning the Hard Way

Serena and her daughter, Ruby, were arguing. Bernard watched with interest from his porch. “I can’t do it!” Ruby clutched her schoolbag, shaking her head. The mother, clearly at her wits end, shoved her right out the door. The little girl plummeted toward the pavement several metres below. Bernard’s heart nearly burst in horror. Ruby’s terrified scream split the morning air. Then came the reassuring swoosh of furious wings. Ruby crowed above him. “I did it!” and swooped gleefully above him, laughing, her mother close behind.

A strangely psychotic piece this week – think it was partly prompted and crystalised by everyone’s shock, including my own, at the hideous air crash where the pilot apparently very calmly flew himself and 150 other people into a mountain – for no good reason (all will probably be revealed, I suppose). Still, fucking unbearable to think about. Shudder.

This act of senseless brutality freaked me out and filtered its way into my story, though it’s also still inspired by the band picture. Apologies to the band people btw 😉 At least this guy has a clear motive for his dreadful actions, however dreadfully weak.

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By Dave Stewart

Bandstand Burn

When Ben burned down the bandstand, he didn’t seem the chap. He’d always been a nice guy, we’d never heard him snap. But his one true love was music, and he had longed to play. But talent at it he had none, and the band drove him away. We saw him sulking in the park, although he waved and smiled. A light had gone behind his eyes, his grin it scared my child. We don’t know where he found the fuel, but he waited til the fayre. Then one match, poof, and up it went, and discord burned the air.

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Thanks for reading and feel free to review constructively. Follow the blue frog and you can read all the other 100 word Friday Fictioneer stories 🙂

Friday Fictioneers I haven’t attempted this in a while, though I have spent a lot of time doing the 750 words.com challenges, which I highly recommend. It is, though, very gratifying to carve out a few thoughts in the 100 word limit of Friday Fictioneers, with the bonus of some human feedback. This is a bit of an experiment. If you don’t run screaming, then thank you for reading:

Under the Stump

This week’s inspiring image ‘Frost on a Stump’ by Sandra Cook

Under the stump, the wee folk lived like kings. Under the stump, they supped blackberry wine and ate gooseberry jam and hot salted meat from puffs of wheat. Under the stump, there was a cold harsh heart asleep. Under the stump, a cockroach fought with a weevil. Under the stump, the wee folk made their bets. Under the stump, the wee folk taught ‘no regrets’. Under the stump, the sun was a myth. Under the stump, the spiders sought their juicy flesh. Under the stump, the wee folk were warm all winter long. Under the stump, they were safe from snow.

Feel I’m channelling a bit of the Arthur Machen, and Blackwood fairies here, if that’s what the ‘wee folk’ are.

V2

Under the stump, the wee folk lived like kings. Under the stump, they supped blackberry wine and ate gooseberry jam and hot salted meat from puffs of wheat. Under the stump, there was a cold harsh devil asleep. Under the stump, a cockroach fought a weevil. Under the stump, the wee folk bet on the weevil. Under the stump, the wee folk taught ‘no regrets’. Under the stump, sun was a myth. Under the stump, the spiders sought their juicy flesh. Under the stump, the wee folk were warm all winter long. Under the stump, they were safe from snow.